Propelling means attachment for the foot of a swimmer



Dec. 2, 1969 o. F. FARMER 3,480,978

PROPELLING MEANS ATTACHMENT FOR THE FOOT OF A SWIMMER Filed July 25, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F 90 as 22 68 :::i:1"I:i t::::::-:. f

INVENTOR.

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Dec. 2, 1969 o. F. FARMER PROPELLING MEANS ATTACHMENT FOR THE FOOT OF A SWIMMER 2 Sheets$heet 2 Filed July 25, 1968 FIG. 4.

mmvrm o4 1/52 F. Awe/145e, BY

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United States Patent US. Cl. 9--305 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An attachment for the foot of a swimmer including a digital controlled blade or fin movable from a first propelling position substantially transverse to the path of the user to a second non-propelling position displaced substantially 90 from its first position and substantially parallel to the users path of travel.

Background of invention The prior art is rampant with examples of foot attached swimmers aids particularly adapted for both surface and underwater swimming. As such, the same generally comprise a foot encasing shoe or slipper type unit for each foot which terminates, at its forward or toe end, into an enlarged substantially web-shaped prolongation formed of a semi-rigid material formed of any suitable plastic composition. In all such constructions, the major emphasis has been placed or laid upon the provision of means which provide the user with the maximum amount of forward propelling force when the legs of the user are moved scissors-wise such as, for example, in that style of swimming stroke known as the crawl.

To achieve the maximum of efiiciency with the minimum of expended energy, such prior art devices necessarily have to be constructed of a relatively stiff but flexible material formed to project both laterally 'of the foot and forwardly of the toes to provide an increased propelling surface over that which would normally be afforded by the users foot, but such web-like devices are subject to many disadvantages. For example, the webtype foot attachments require the use of muscles and a pattern of motion which only occurs during swimming and hence the novice tires quickly. Again, by the inherent construction of such web-type aids or flippers as they are known in the art, the user or swimmer loses certain agility, especially in making turns, for the webs or flippers provide a drag of substantially constant area to the path of movement of the swimmers body through the water. Still further, and with such auxiliary swimming aids or devices, there is always an attendant physical danger to the user should he be an amateur swimmer or a novice in skin diving or scuba swimming. This is brought about by the unaccustomed weights applied to the outer extremities (feet) of the legs which requires the exercise of considerable more power and the expenditure of greater amounts of energy by the user than is normally required in similar activities without the use of such accouterments, plus the fact that the increased area of the webbing enables the unskilled user to become easily entangled, one foot with the other.

Recognizing the disadvantages of the prior art devices, the present invention is designed to provide a device for connection to the feet of the swimmer in the nature of a controlled fin or blade which obviates, eliminates, or materially reduces all of the above-mentioned disadvantages of conventional flippers and related devices while at the same time maintaining an effective, highly efficient, foot-connected propelling means in the nature of a blade or fin and which will enable the user thereof to exercise substantially the same muscles and pattern of movement r 3,480,978 Patented. Dec. 2, 1969 as are employed in the exercises of walking and running, as well as those utilized in swimming.

It is therefore, one of the primary objects of this invention to provide a foot embracing shell including blade or fin means projecting beyond the foot digits together with means for controlling the angularity of the blade or fin means relative to the path of travel of the swimmer.

Another object of this invention is to provide digital control means for controlling the angularity of a foot attached swimmers blade or fin.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a foot attached swimmers blade or fin together with means for rotatably supporting the fin beyond the digits of the users foot, and digitally operated means for controlling the degree of the pivotal movement of the blade or fin.

This invention contemplates, as still a further object of the invention, the provision of a propelling attachment for the foot of the swimmer which is non-complex in construction and assembly, inexpensive to manufacture and maintain, and which is rugged and durable in use.

Other and further objects and advantages of the instant invention will become more manifest from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the drawings annexed hereto.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is one side elevational view of a propelling means attachment for the foot of a swimmer including a foot engageable shell and blade or fin, all assembled and constructed according to this invention, this figure showing the blade or fin in one operative position and being worn on the left foot of the user;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the device as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the attachment in its first operative position as illustrated in FIG- URES l and 2;

FIGURE 4 shows in full lines a side elevational view of the other side of the shell and blade or fin of the device of FIGURE 1, and in dotted lines, the blade or fin turned substantially to a second operative position;

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal detail substantially medial transverse cross-sectional view, FIGURE 5 being taken on the vertical plane of line 55 of FIGURE 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 6 is an end elevational view of the attachment similar to FIGURE 3 but showing the blade or fin in its second operative position.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10 designates, in general, a propelling means attachment for the foot of a swimmer, the means or swimming device being constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention. The swimming device 10 illustrated in the annexed drawings and described herein is to be fitted on the left foot of the user, it being understood of course that an identical device (not shown) will be provided for the users right foot with the order of the parts shown and described herein reversed. It will also be understood that the component elements of this invention, with the exception of the metal hardware, and unless otherwise specifically defined as to the nature of the material used, will be preferably formed of any suitable light-weight conventionally known plastic including a reinforced plastic material which may be, optionally, pigmented if so desired.

The swimming device 10 comprises a foot embracing shell of shoe-like construction including a sole 14, a quarter 16 at the heel, an arch portion 18, a vamp section 20, and an open-ended throat 22. The shell also preferably includes for the users comfort, a heel receiving recess 24, a thickened metatarsal arch support 26, and a depression 28 to receive the ball portion of the users foot. It is preferable that these components be integrally or fixedly connected with one another by conventional means. As is seen in the several figures of the drawings, the quarter 16 at each of its respective sides is formed with a pair of oppositely disposed transversely extending openings 30, 32 to receive therein the opposed ends of conventional flexible straps 34, 36 having cooperating re leasable and adjustable securing means 40, 42 of conventional construction thereon to releasably and adjustably secure the device to the foot of the user in the manner shown in FIGURE 1 and to be described below.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that the shell 12 is open at its front or tip end and is substantially open at its upper end, this end being only partially closed by the throat 22 which spans the shell 12 transversely in spaced confronting relation relative to an adjacent portion of the sole 14.

The throat 22 is built up in thickness from the opposed sides of the vamp section to form a raised boss 44 which is integrally connected with a forwardly projecting integrally formed neck 46. The boss 44 and neck 46 are provided with a continuous passage 48 which extends therethrough to open at its opposed ends into the planes of the remotely disposed ends of the boss and neck.

Reference numeral 50 designates a substantially rectangular mounting block fixedly connected, as by conventional fastening means 52, to the outer side of the forward end of the vamp section 20 of the shell 12 at, substantially, the lower end of the tip 22 and which is disposed adjacent the inner side of the foot of the user. Disposed within the block 50 is a conventional metallic bush- 9 ing 54 which opens into the plane of the outer side 56 of the block 50.

The other lower end of the boss 44 at the opposite side of the shell 12 terminates in an integrally formed or fixedly connected substantially solid lug 58 (see FIGURES 2, Z

3 and 6) having an outer planar face 60 disposed substantially perpendicular to the sole 14. To the planar face 60 of the block 58 is fixedly secured, by conventional fastening means 62, the foot section 64 of a substantially fiat L-shaped abutment means 66 having a forwardly and upwardly inclined leg portion 68. The distal end 70 of the leg portion 68 is rounded and the downwardly facing edge 72, reference being made to FIGURE 4, is planar.

Reference numeral 74 designates, in general, an elongated blade or fin having a substantially trapezoidal configuration in top and bottom plan view and which has a rhomboid transverse cross-sectional configuration. The blade or fin 74 comprises a first pair of adjacent planar surfaces 76, 78 (see FIGURES 3 and 6) which form an obtuse dihedral angle therebetween, and a second pair of adjacent planar surfaces 80, 82 forming a second obtuse dihedral angle. The pairs of surfaces 76, 80 and 78, 82 are, respectively, oppositely disposed relative to one another, and the blade or fin 74 tapers from a relatively wide inner end 84 to a relatively thin outer end 86; and, the opposed planar surfaces 76, 80 and 78, 82 also taper from a longitudinally extending relatively thick intermediate portion 87 toward the opposed longitudinally extending thin side edges 88, 90. The blade or fin 74 at its inner end 84 is provided with an inwardly extending cutout 92 that extends laterally from adjacent the intermediate portion 87 to the side edge 88, and the thickened longitudinally extending portion 87 is provided with an elongated blind bore 94 that extends longitudinally of the blade or fin 74 and which opens into its end 84 (see FIG- URE 5). The bore 94 (see FIGURE 2) is laterally offset from the longitudinal axis of the blade or fin 74 in the direction of the side edge to serve a function to be described.

An elongated shaft 96 has one of its ends fixedly secured in the bore 94 as by the diametrically extending rivets 98 and the other end thereof is journalled for rotation in the passage 48. This end of the shaft 96 is threaded as at 100 and receives the keeper nut 102 thereon to loosely connect the blade or fin 74 for pivotal movement on the boss 44 with the end 84 disposed in spaced confronting and juxtaposed position relative to the outer end of the neck 46, and while a simple non-complex construction has been described to provide a pivotal connection between the neck 46, its associated boss 44, and the blade or fin 74, other analogous mechanical means could be provided without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

The ofiset mounting of the blade 74 on the boss 44 provides a gravity operated bias constantly tending to urge the blade or fin 74 to pivot from its position shown in FIGURE 3 clockwise to its position of FIGURE 6.

The digital control means for the blade or fin 74 includes an elongated concave-convex lever 104 disposed in spaced forward relation relative to the sole 14 at the open tip end of the shell 12, the lever 104 opening upwardly and being so positioned as to receive the big toe of the user. The lever 104 is pivotally connected on the mounting block 50 by means of an elongated cylindrical metallic rod 106 of substantially U-shaped configuration and comprises a first arm 108 journalled for rotation in the bushing 54, a bight portion 110 extending substantially parallel to and in spaced relation relative to the planar face or side 56 of the block 50, and a second arm 112 extending in the same direction as the arm 108 and being substantially parallel thereto. The arm 1.12 is integrally connected with one end of a forwardly projecting and laterally oifset rod 114 which is extended substantially parallel to one side of the lever 104 adjacent one upper end edge 116 thereof. Any suitable and conventional securing means (not shown) may be employed to connect the rod 114 to the lever 104.

The control means further include a crosspin 118 having its opposed ends fixedly connected on the forward end of the lever .104, the crospin being mounted adjacent the above-mentioned one upper edge 116 and its opposed longitudinally extending and substantially parallel upper end edge 120. Conventional swivel means 122 connect one of a pair of takeup adjustment screws 124, 126 on the crosspin 118 intermediate its ends, and a conventional adjustment collar 128 threadedly connects the adjacent ends of the screws 124, 126. The outer end of the screw .126 terminates in an annular head 130, and the latter is pivotally connected on a pivot pin 132 having its opposed ends supported on the opposed arms 134 of a hanger bracket 136. The hanger bracket 136 is substantially U- shaped in configuration and includes a bight portion 138 which is pivotally connected to the planar surface 80 adjacent to but spaced inwardly from the inner end 84 of the blade or fin 74 on a conventional pivot pin 140, see FIGURES 1, 2 and 3.

.Referring specifically to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the shell 12 is shown as having received the foot 200 of the user therein and as being secured thereon by the straps 34, 36 and the buckle means 40. In this position, the toes of the users foot project beyond the throat 22 with the big toe of the foot engaging in the adjacent inner end of the lever 104. In the position shown in FIGURE 1, the bight portion 104 of the lever 104 extends forwardly of the sole 14 and is substantially in alignment therewith. The force exerted by the big toe 202 has, in the figure, caused the blade or fin 74 to pivot to its normal first operative position wherein the blade or fin 74 is substantially parallel to a horizontal plane or, to relate the blade or fin in other terms, the same will extend substantially perpendicular to the leg 206 of the user. The angle of the inclination of the longitudinal axis of the leg portion 68 relative to the aforementioned horizontal plane is such that as the blade or fin 74 is turned towards the aforedescribed horizontal position, the downwardly facing edge 72 of the leg portion 68 is engaged by the planar portion 78 of the blade 74 immediately adjacent the cutout 92. Thus the leg portion 68 serves as abutment means to limit the turning movement of the blade or fin 5 74 in a counterclockwise direction, reference being made to FIGURE 3 of the drawings.

With the blade or fin 74 in its above-described substantially horizontal position, the takeup means is adjusted, that is, the collar 128 is rotated in one direction or the other to change the effective length of the adjusting screws 124, 126 whereby the lever 104 is moved to the position shown in FIGURE 1 and as described above.

Bearing in mind that the shaft 96 is offset with respect to the longitudinal axis of the blade or fin 74 and that the greater mass of the blade or fin 74 is bounded by the opposed planar surfaces 7-8, 82, the blade or fin 74 is constantly biased for a turning movement clockwise with reference to FIGURE 3 to assume its second normal operative position displaced 90 and as is illustrated in FIGURE 6. With the blade or fin 74 in the position of the last named figure, the lever 104 has pivoted and moved upwardly to substantially the maximum distance and the big toe 102 of the user may be confortably flexed upwardly from its position illustrated in FIGURE 1.

In the used and operation of the invention the swimmer uses a swimming kicking stroke which involves bending both the hip and the knee to bring the leg to a kneechest position, then the leg is straightened quickly. The legs are alternately straightened and bent much as in the action of climbing a ladder, running or treading water.

The invention is constructed so that as the leg is being brought to the knee-chest position the blade 74 is pivoted to the position shown in FIGURE 6 by bending the toe upwardly and by the force of the water on the larger portion of the blade due to the unbalanced mounting. As the leg reaches the most forward position the toe is bent downwardly pivoting the blade 74 to the position shown in FIGURE 3 and the leg is forced rearwardly with the blade 74 held in the position of FIGURE 3 by the force of the water on the unbalanced blade 74. When ready to start the forward stroke the toe is flexed upwardly again pivoting the blade to the position of FIGURE 6 and the cycle of operation is repeated.

Having thus described this preferred embodiment of the invention it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention,

What is claimed is:

1. A swimming attachment for the foot comprising a foot embracing shell, means to detachably secure said shell to a users foot, a propulsion blade, a shaft integrally mounted on said blade and having its axis lying in the plane of said blade, means pivotally mounting said shaft on said shell with the axis of said shaft extending generally parallel to the length of the users foot and generally perpendicular to the lower portion of the users leg, means controlled by a toe of the user secured to said shell and connected to said blade for alternately pivoting said blade from a position with the plane of said blade transverse to the path of the user to a position with the plane of said blade parallel to the path of the user.

2. The attachment of claim 1 wherein means are provided on said shell for limiting the pivotal movement of said blade.

3. The attachment of claim 1 wherein the means for pivoting said blade is adjustable.

4. The attachment of claim 1 wherein the axis of said shaft is positioned adjacent to but spaced from the center of said blade whereby the forward portion of said blade when said blade is parallel to the path of the user has an area less than the rear portion thereof whereby the force of the water on the blade in passing through the water assists the toe controlled means for pivoting said blade to pivot and maintain said blade in the desired position.

5. The attachment of claim 4 wherein the means for pivoting said blade is pivotally mounted on said shell and is adjustable.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 805,525 11/1905 Bullock 9303 1,061,264 5/1913 Bys 9-304 1,142,872 6/1915 Bruening 9-304 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner I. E. PITTENGER, Assistant Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 11 3l 

